warriorsfanficfandomcom-20200213-history
Fight for Freedom
This is the finale episode of Vale, season 3. Written by Rainy. Read, enjoy, & comment! This episode is dedicated to Firey, for being one of the most supportive, kind friends to ever exist... and for writing the awesomeness that is this '' ''and the amazingness that is this. Love you, boo. :) ''Fight For Freedom'' There are some situations in life where time seems to slow down. Things seem to be happening in delay, like you're watching them after they've unfolded. There are also situations where everything seems to be sped up, too. The world is rushing past you, and your mind can't keep up. Then there are situations where... time is irrelevant. You don't know what's happening. All you know is that you're a fiery, burning ball of pain--pain that has nothing to do with the blood streaking and drying on your pelt. I'm really sorry about the time thing. Me being so out of it. It's quite inconvenient to the story, because I can't tell you what happened right after Oakstar fell from High-Rock. Why? Because I don't know. I assume that what happened was what you'd expect. My Clanmates finished driving the rogues away, making sure they fled out of our territory instead of back into it. We had won. I didn't participate in any of that. I lay in a useless lump of fur, shaking so hard my bones rattled, until I literally didn't have the energy to tremble anymore. Then I lay deathly still, for hours on end. Yeah, I just lay there. It was night by the time I finally budged, raising my head to see a dark-furred cat approach me. Ryan cleared his throat. "His vigil," he said. "I thought you might... might want to say good bye." "Good bye is so... painful." "Breezeflight... you look awful." "Gee, thanks." He glanced at his paws. "I- I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." "I was being sarcastic-" "Not about that," he said, waving his tail impatiently. "I'm sorry this had to cost your Clan so much." I looked off into the distance blankly. "Quailfeather will be a good leader. And now that we have the Life-Rock back, she can get her nine lives." He nodded. "She's strong and determined. She'll grow into the role. And our Clan will reunite. SpringClan is so... so resilient. All my Clanmates are so incredibly brave. I can't-" My voice broke, and I finally dropped the veil of numbness. I let myself explode into a supernova of pain, burying my face in Ryan's shoulder as I shook with the tsunami of sobs that had been building in me all day. Finally, I raised my head, my fur rumpled and my eyes still watering. "Nothing in life should hurt like this," I whispered. "W-will you come with me, down to where they have Oakstar's body? I can't go alone." "Of course." He linked his tail with mine, and the two of us made our way down to the base of High-Rock. Oakstar lay where he had fallen. Some warriors had tried to make him look less broken, rearranging his limbs and covering his battered body with flowers. But he still looked terrible. It was nearly impossible to imagine that just hours prior, he had been encased in an armor made of a lion. Our mighty leader, our hero... reduced to a splintered remnant of a cat. Lifeless. Hollow. That kind, gentle, guiding spirit, gone. Surprisingly, I didn't break down when I saw his body. After all that shaking, all that crying... I managed to pad up to my leader and touch my nose to his ear. I whispered, "Good bye, Oakstar. SpringClan will always remember and treasure you. You changed our lives, and you saved this Clan. You chose the hardest path I've ever seen a cat have to take, but you accomplished what no one else could. You're a true hero... and we will miss you so. Enjoy StarClan, because you've earned it." Ryan pressed his shoulder to mine. "Are you okay?" he asked, his gaze still fixed on Oakstar. "Someday we will be." He nodded, like he understood exactly what I meant by that. "Let's go find the others. We could use some rest." Of course, none of us would really be sleeping soundly that night. Specklepaw, Minkpaw, Daisypaw, Cammy, and Lily were all nestled in a small cave halfway up High-Rock, and Ryan and I joined them. They were talking about the battle, but their voices were subdued. Daisypaw rushed over to me as Ryan and I entered, ushering me over to a freshly-made nest. "Thanks," I told her, laying down as a wave of exhaustion crashed over me. Looking around the den, I searched my friends anxiously. "Anyone seriously hurt?" "We're fine," said Lily in a clipped tone. "What about you? You were bleeding pretty bad earlier." "You were?" asked Specklepaw worriedly. I waved my paw dismissively. "I'm fine," I said. "You're not one to talk, anyway. That cut above your eye will leave a scar." "I could use a few scars." He shrugged. "Make a cat look fierce." Making a sound of disgust, Lily said, "Don't you ever take anything seriously?" Looking wounded, Specklepaw said, "I wasn't trying to make light of the situation, I was just trying to help everyone feel better." "By opening your mouth and yapping pointlessly?" she demanded ruthlessly. "That's your solution to everything, isn't it? You can always be counted on to say something stupid!" Before I could stop myself, I'd leaped to my paws. "What's your problem? No one wants to spend tonight fighting among ourselves, so why are you starting stuff? Now's not the time. Anyone with a quarter of a brain could realize that." Sneeringly, Lily said, "Of all the Clan cats I've met, you and Specklepaw are two of the worst. So arrogant, so annoying, talk too much-" "Lily! Shut up!" hissed Cammy. Lily glared at her sister. "You would side with them, Chamomile. Have you forgotten who I am? Have you forgotten who you are?" "Both of you." Ryan sounded weary. "Please. Now's not the time." Lily sunk back into her nest, closing her eyes, a nasty curl still present on her lips. The rest of us exchanged glances. I'd been looking forward for a comforting session of talking things over with my friends, but the argument had sort of killed the mood. I allowed myself one last glance at each of my friends, thinking silently in my mind, StarClan, Oakstar... keep these cats safe. Then I forced myself to sleep, because real life was more of a nightmare than anything my mind could dream up right now. The next day was a blur of activity. At dawn, Quailfeather stood atop High-Rock and announced that she was now Quailstar. We greeted her with strong chanting, pretending that we couldn't hear Mintwhisker sobbing quietly in the back. Which might seem insensitive, but what could we do? Nothing we could say would make it better. Then, the afternoon was spent moving back to our old camp. The place was a mess. Right after I had become a warrior, my parents had visited me in a dream and taken me back to the SpringClan camp, showing me how it was under Claron's control: rogues all over the place, acting as if they were right at home. Now, walking through the familiar tunnel into my home, I was still shocked at the extent of disarray. The branches of the bush that sheltered the apprentices' den were skewed and some were broken off. The pile of spare bedding we always kept handy had been kicked all over the ground, and Lionpatch's herb stores had been trampled on. Cries of outrage met the scene. "We shouldn't have let any of those mangy rogues escape," growled Hawkeye fiercely. "Look what they've done to our camp! The place reeks of their foul scent. We should've torn each one limb from limb." "Hawkeye," Quailstar said sternly, bumping him aside. "You are not deputy nor are you leader." "Who is deputy?" he challenged. She glowered at him. "Now's not the time. We don't need to be worrying about new positions. We need to be worrying about getting the camp back to normal." Normal. It seemed like a laughably far away status. How could life ever be normal again? Nevertheless, I threw myself into the work it would take to achieve that status. It took my mind off things; I'd rather have the muscles in my shoulders and legs ache than concentrate on the ache in my heart. We swept away debris, collected new bedding, and straightened out the dens. Blackheart and Lilyshade, who had agreed to help us move back in and hadn't mentioned anything about whether they were going back to their old solitary lives by the stream or not, led a hunting patrol to restock the fresh-kill pile. Brightkit, Sleepykit, and Flowerkit were put to work disposing of the disgusting crow-food the rogues had left lying around. We sent out two border patrols: Dewfrost and Thistleblossom remarked the eastern border, while Ivyrose and Goldenburst did the western one. Surprisingly, the cats among us who weren't warriors--Fire, Cammy, Ryan, and, to a lesser extent, Lily--didn't need to be told twice what to do. They worked as hard as any of us, and even some of my more suspicious Clanmates seemed to trust them to do the job they were assigned. By the time sunset came around, we were all exhausted. The camp looked ten times better than it had when we first walked in. It had begun to take on some appearance of home again. With a gusty sigh, I collapsed beside my friends outside the apprentices' den. "I'm so tired," I groaned. "I hear that," agreed Daisypaw, licking a cut on her paw. After yesterday's battle, staying up for Oakstar's vigil, and today's grueling work, I felt like I would never be well rested again. I wanted to curl up in my warm, newly-made nest and sleep for a thousand moons. Nudging me, Minkpaw said, "Look, Quailstar's calling a Clan meeting. Our first Gathering with her as leader, back in our camp." The rest of the Clan had noticed too, and even though Quailstar called out the summons for the Clan, they were unneccesary. Everyone had already clustered beneath high-rock. The kits burst out of the nursery on the tails of the queens. The elders bundled together at the edge of the assembly. Everyone turned expectant eyes to Quailstar. If she was nervous or unsure about the monumental task she was faced with, regrouping and restoring a shattered Clan... Quailstar didn't show it. Her storm-colored eyes met our own with a steady determination. I didn't think she was a leader like Oakstar, but I did trust that Oakstar knew what he was doing when he had chosen her as deputy. She was loyal and strong, and SpringClan needed a bold, confident leader now. If Quailstar was the one to bring out Clan back, I would gladly follow her anywhere. "Cats of SpringClan," she said. "We've been through so much in the past half-moon that I don't know where to begin. We've lost so much. Why am I recanting this? You might be wondering that. I'm reminding us because we can never forget what we lost. We can't forget how it felt, losing our home, escaping to the plains through that narrow tunnel because we had to flee for our lives. We can't forget Moonowl, who died defending the camp that horrible day when we were driven out. We can't forget the brave patrol who slayed a fox so we could have a temporary camp to live in out in the wilderness. We can't forget the selfless way Blackheart and Lilyshade have helped us, even though they didn't need to. We can't forget Fire's sister, who, though not a Clan cat, died at the paws of the League. We can't forget... we can't forget that this battle, this victory, cost us the greatest leader StarClan has ever blessed us with." "So let's take a moment, my fellow SpringClanners, and just remember. A moment of silence, if you will." Quailstar bowed her head, and the rest of us followed suit. I closed my eyes and felt the joined sorrow of my Clan flow over me. When I reopened my eyes, Specklepaw and Ryan were on either side of me. Ryan had his tail on Cammy's back, and Minkpaw pressed her head to Daisypaw's shoulder. I let myself lean on Specklepaw, and he gave me a small lick on the ear. We supported each other, linked by our sadness for those that had fallen. Quailstar continued her speech, this time in a stronger voice. "This will be a time of rebirth. StarClan has been restored, and the Life-Rock is within our possession. Claron has been slain, and the League has been defeated--hopefully for good. Here's to new beginnings." There was a smattering of hesitant cheering. Quailstar gave us an understanding look. "I know. Hope seems frivolous in such a dark hour. But it is not all mourning. I have several cats I would like to honor today." That got cats' attention. All eyes were on Quailstar once again. She let her gaze rove over the Clan--perhaps, I imagined, letting it sink in that she was now the leader of this assembly. "First, I'm sure you're all wondering, there is the matter of the cat who will succeed me as deputy. And I have the answer." She smiled. "Dewfrost, please step forward." No one was especially shocked, except Dewfrost himself. My mentor's green eyes grew huge, and he nearly tripped over his own paws as he padded up to Quailstar. As Quailstar conducted the ceremony, I felt my eyes blur with tears of pride. My mentor was now SpringClan's new deputy. My voice carried loud and far when the Clan exploded into cheering. "Dewfrost! Dewfrost!" Next, Quailstar said, "Thistleblossom has decided to retire, after moons of loyal service to the Clan. We honor her contribution, and pledge in return our own allegiance and devotion in taking care of her in retirement." The Clan called out encouragement and love as Thistleblossom stood, giving a shy dip of her head, and went to sit with the other elders. Redbelly waved his tail in the air excitedly, Grayfinch purred in welcome, and Creamflower licked the new arrival on the cheek. "Of course, that leaves positions to fill. The Clan always needs warriors, and I think I have a solution." A twinkle entered Quailstar's eyes. "Specklepaw, Daisypaw, Minkpaw... please come forward." Daisypaw let out an audible gasp. She turned frantically towards me. "Does my pelt look okay?" Chuckling, Quailstar said, "You look beautiful, dear." Mortified, Daisypaw hurried to join Minkpaw and Specklepaw. And I'd thought I'd been overcome with pride and joy when Dewfrost became deputy. This was too much. I pressed my paw into Ryan's so hard that he winced at my grasp. "Finally," I whispered. "They're finally warriors. They deserve this so much." Ryan nodded, but I couldn't help notice a trace of wistfulness in his gaze. Specklepaw became Specklenose, and Minkpaw became Minkears. Daisypaw became Daisyheart. I couldn't think of a better warrior name for my best friend; it perfectly embodied her kind spirit. While everyone cheered, I bolted forward and embraced my friends. Ryan and Cammy followed more hesitantly, looking a little nervous. "Congratulations, you guys," said Cammy shyly. Specklenose beamed at her. "We're still the same cats," he told her, and then tackled her, yelling, "Group hug!" When we finally untangled ourselves, most of the Clan had cleared out of the middle of the camp. The kits were being herded off to bed, amidst many protests and attempts to run away. Quailstar had appointed Goldenburst as the night guard; she was taking no chances, and I didn't blame her. "Come on, you guys," I told Specklenose, Minkears, and Daisyheart. "I'll help you make your nests beside mine in the warriors' den." As we walked off, I couldn't help feeling a pang of guilt, watching Ryan and his sisters trudge back to the now considerably emptier apprentices' den. But you won't choose the warrior life, I thought as I met Ryan's eyes. He gave me a crooked, sad sort of smile. I broke eye contact and ducked into the warriors' den. Where I belonged. Within a few minutes, the four members of the Vale Squad were each in our respective nests. Specklenose couldn't keep the grin off his face. "I can't believe it. We're warriors." Daisyheart sighed. "It feels strange. Being happy. After everything that's happened." We fell silent. She frowned. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought the mood down." "No, I get it. Quailstar was right. We can move on, but we can't forget," Minkears said wisely. "You're only a warrior, not an elder. Chill with the deep quotes," I teased, in response to which she batted at my ear. "This is what we've been training for since so long. I feel so bad that Cherrynose is still in the medicine cat's den. I owe it all to her," Minkears murmured. "Speaking of which, I'm going to go check on her before I go to sleep." When she returned, Bluebird was on her heels, and they were followed by Ivyrose and Yellowsun--the last few warriors to trickle in. Then the den was full for the night. It felt indescribably good to be sleeping at home for once; though we had several new additions, the warriors' den felt cozy, not crowded. No one felt like going to sleep. Everyone was still up late into the night, talking about one thing or another. Bluebird and Specklenose were having a discussion about whether the rogues' fighting techniques could be ethically implemented in Clan training--a conversation which Minkears swiftly interrupted to yell at Bluebird (something about him having knocked over the pile of bedding she had collected earlier that day). I was too sleepy to talk, but not sleepy enough to sleep, so I rested my head on Daisyheart and dozed until the den finally fell silent. "Sweet dreams, guys," muttered Specklenose. "Stop snoring," Minkears said, boxing Bluebird's ears. "I love you guys," said Daisypaw happily. I smiled and thought, I love you guys too. True, SpringClan still had mountains of problems to plow through. Life wasn't going to be easy from now on. In fact, as much as I wished otherwise, I had a nagging feeling that things would be just as hard as before, if not harder. But there was hope. The prodigal Clan was no longer an outcast in the wilderness. We were home. The End Category:Vale